Review: Su:m37 Water-full Skin Refresher

As luck would have it, I have been able to use several products from the Su:m37 Water-full line, even though the brand is normally way out of my skincare budget. Either I found an unbelievable deal that I am convinced to this day was an administrative mistake, or I randomly won deluxe samples enough for a couple months for much less than they normally go for, from legit eBay sellers. One of the last products from the line - that I was lucky to win on one of the aforementioned auctions - was the Su:m37 Water-full Skin Refresher. I had enough product for once-or-twice-daily use for a couple months, so I believe I gave myself enough time to experience it.

About the brand:
SU:M37 is a premium beauty brand in Korea that specializes in naturally fermented skincare, free of fragrances, artificial colors and synthetic preservatives. 'SU:M' represents the Korean word for respiration and '37' signifies optimal fermentation temperature. (source)

Product claims:
Toner is crucial for hydrating, clarifying, soothing, and restoring pH balance to your skin. SU:M37’s Waterfull Skin Refresher is about as invigorating as its name promises. The SU:M37 Water-full line is designed to moisturize skin and increase the density of moisture using four key fermented ingredients: Bamboo water contains amino acids that are beneficial to the health of the skin. Red clover flower extract promotes skin vitality. Hibiscus flower extract promotes moisture. Gold-silver flower has a pore minimizing effect. Best of all? There are no artificial fragrances, colors, or preservatives. (source)

First of all, let's get one thing out of the way: Holy. Crap. Where the hell do I even start with that ingredient list?!
And, really, there's only one response to that question: I don't. There seem to be - and this is just an estimation - five gazillion different fermented ingredients in this toner, and I am sure they're awesome. Still, it is yet another water-based toner, with bad, bad alcohol as the second ingredient on the list.

I know there are some of you who legit cannot use anything alcohol-y on your skin because it immediately leads to a negative reaction. Then there are those who believe that alcohol is evil, and it should just not be anywhere near anyone's face, period.

Me, I am one who had literally decades of using crap Western toners that were hardly anything else but water mixed with alcohol, in my desperate fight against oiliness, which resulted in me constantly ridding my skin of all the good oils and hydration, which led to an overproduction of sebum - the very thing I thought I was fighting against.

Thankfully, that is the past now, and using Korean products of mild, light hydrating layers twice a day has beautifully evened out the sebum-production on my face, to a point where for I have not had any sort of issues with oiliness for a long time now. My skin is normal, and I hope that's the way it will stay. (Side note: please don't hate. I do have other skin issues, like large pores, and an uneven skin tone as well as surface. So, don't hate. wink)

All of that said, one might assume that I would want to stay away from alcohol until the end of time.
I don't. While I haven't used any astringent toners since I got into K-beauty, I have used some that did have alcohol towards the top of the ingredient list.

And, you know what? It's been perfectly fine. None of them ever felt stingy, and neither have they dried out my skin. Alcohol, in the right formulation, helps the absorption of a product, which I feel it's exactly what it's doing in this one; nothing more, nothing less.

As you can see in the photo above, it's a very watery, light product that absorbs without leaving any trace. It actually feels like patting water into my skin, except it smells like some flower-y fermented goodness from the gods. On my normal skin, this is the perfect toner in my morning routine as it adds absolutely no heaviness at all.

Is it something that I feel completely reformed my skincare routine and life? Could I not live without it? No and no. Mind you, I don't expect either of toners. In fact, I have found very few individual products that I feel did that on its own. (I guess those gems are what you would call HG's, and it's not just a strange coincidence that people have very few of those.) However, this toner is perfect, to me, for what it is for. It's called a "refresher" because that's exactly what it feels like. It's a fresh, light, fast-absorbing layer of hydration in the summer.
That's all it does, but it certainly does that well.

Recommend? Yes. Unless alcohol in skincare makes your face freak out. Or, the thought of alcohol in skincare makes you freak out. Or, you - like me - don't have the budget for full-size high-end products and you hate the thought of buying samples. If none of those apply, I say go for it! It is light, it is hydrating, it smells heavenly, and it leaves no residue behind. I think it is especially great to use in the summertime when one's face is less likely to enjoy a lot of products during the day - with all the heat, sweating, and humidity.